'Meaningful for a community': New US citizens vote early in Santa Fe

SANTA FE — More than anything else on his ballot, Mario Vasquez was excited to vote on bond questions because of the changes they could bring.

Vasquez became a U.S. citizen four years ago but only realized a 20-year dream — voting in a local election — on Wednesday afternoon at the Santa Fe County Clerk’s Office. Vasquez was among a group of new U.S. citizens voting for the first time, brought together by Somos Un Pueblo Unido, a statewide organization that helps workers with wage theft issues and supports immigrant rights.

Ana Cabrera Magana, who became a U.S. citizen six months ago, was excited, nervous and happy before she cast her ballot. She lived in Santa Fe for around 30 years before becoming a citizen and had participated in door knocking and canvasing to turn out voters long before she was allowed to vote. The process to become a citizen was not hard, she said, because she studied extensively at Somos for a year to prepare for the citizenship test.

Somos Un Pueblo Unido has a citizenship program that reaches out to people who are eligible for U.S. citizenship with information on how to naturalize. Every year, Somos encourages recently naturalized citizens to engage in civic activities like voting, according to Zulema Chavero, a community organizer in Santa Fe.

For the first time this year, the organization offered a workshop on ballots, so that participants could learn about how bonds and amendments on the ballot work.

“It’s meaningful for a community, and elected officials and for the public to know that naturalized immigrants go out and vote,” Chavero said.

Somos partners with Literacy Volunteers of Santa Fe to help people study for the citizenship test. Volunteer tutor Kimberly Wiley teaches people English as a second language, basic literacy and civics and historical information that will help prepare them for the citizenship test. There are four components to the citizenship test: reading, writing, civics questions and an oral interview.

Dora Eguino went to the Santa Fe Clerk’s office out of support Wednesday but was unable to vote. That’s because she’s registered in Rio Arriba County. May 2025 will mark two years since Eguino became a U.S. citizen, and she plans to participate in early voting. Registering to vote was easy, she said. Her daughter-in-law helped her complete the registration.

Eguino wants to vote for a good president “who is going to be able to help us.”

“I feel at peace, excited and confident knowing my one vote can assure a win for somebody that’s good for my community,” Eguino said.

After living in Rio Arriba County for 30 years, one reason Eguino decided to pursue becoming a U.S. citizen was the worry that she could be deported and separated from her children. Gaining citizenship has made her feel more at peace, she said